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Parish Pastoral team |
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OVERVIEW OF THE MEETING OF ST.ANNE’S PARISH TEAM TUESDAY
10th JUNE 2008 Report
from the Communications Group (a)
The Open General Meeting has been discussed. (See below) (b)
The Web Site continues to be under-utilised. In
future “The Rock” will be displayed on the web site by Saturday. This
will probably be without the week’s Lottery results. Diane Ford will be
invited to join the Communications Group. (c)
The post of Parish Administrator was discussed. (Details below) (d)
The Year Planner is a major project. It will be based
on the Financial Year. The Year Planner will be purchased. In order to avoid a clash
of date, the Group will write to all those in the Parish holding regular meetings as soon as possible and ask them to provide
dates 12 months in advance . There will be access for impromptu
meetings.
(e) Work continues on the Parish Directory. Report from the Management
Group (a)
The Group had concentrated on the subject of the appointment of a Parish Administrator. Team Members had been
provided with a briefing paper outlining proposals. This included: Its Purpose; Background;
Models considered; Risks; Affordability; Planned Recruitment Process;
Role Profile. The Team approved in principle
the appointment of a Parish Administrator and the Group would continue with the project. (b)
The Post would be advertised in “The Rock”, the Parish Web Site, the Parish Notice
Board and the Club Notice Board. (c)
The Diocese would be the “Employer” but the would have no say in the Job Description
or Hours of Employment. The Salary would be managed directly by the Parish. (d)
A report was given on Health and Safety at the Management Meeting.
The Health and Safety Risk Assessment Log was shown at the Team Meeting and this will be available in the Presbytery Office if anyone wished to examine it. The Log
would be regularly updated. Report from the Spirituality
Group (a)
The Parish Project Questions have been received. The response was a little disappointing. There were 25 distinct themes,
5 or of which would be taken after consultation with Paddy Rylands from the Diocese at a Meeting on 25th June at
6.00p.m. After a decision has been
made on those topics to be included in the Parish Project, the remaining questions would be addressed either in “The
Rock” or from the Pulpit. (b)
The Spirituality Group will put a notice in “The Rock” thanking those who suggested
questions. (c)
New Members will be asked to join the Group. (d) Volunteers were needed to go to St. Teresa’s,
Norris Green on Sunday 13th July from about 12.30p.m. to early evening to help with their Parish Planning Day. This will involve taking Discussion Group Minutes, Typing and distribution of information
as the day progresses. L.P.A. Meeting Feedback The Meeting on Tuesday 6th
May was attended by members of all four Parish Teams.. It provided an overview
of the LPA Planning Day in April. The intention was to communicate with and share
thoughts with other parishes. Parish
Meeting Saturday 26th July (a)
The wording of the notice in “The Rock” is to be altered. Help will be offered to overcome any practical reasons that might prevent people from attending. (b)
The Meeting will be chaired by Fr. Ray Warren (Vicar Provincial) and Bob Rimmer (ParishTeam Chairperson). (c)
Fr. Ray will be provided with details of the Parish Project should he wish to speak on the matter. (d)
The Liturgy Group will meet to discuss arrangements for the Ordination of John
Boggan as Deacon Amy Walls asked those who
could help to organise John’s first Mass in the Parish as Deacon on Sunday 6th July to go to the Meeting
at her home on Thursday 12th June. Health & Safety Issue It has been reported that
during the service for First Holy Communicants both side gates to the Church were locked.
Action will be taken to ensure that this does not happen at major events in the future. OVERVIEW
OF THE MEETING OF ST.ANNE’S PARISH TEAM Following the discussion on communications within the Parish
at the meeting held on 17thApril, three members of the Parish Team met with the Communications Group on Tuesday
8th May. A Year Planner chart was made available but it was felt that
the size of the boxes was insufficient for the needs of the Parish. It was agreed
that two large Year Planner diaries would be put in place in the New Year when they become available in the shops. One would be kept in the Presbytery, the other in the Church so that anyone planning a meeting/event could
check to avoid a clash of interests. A
Parish Information Book will be printed giving details of Services, Parish Groups and any other information it was felt necessary
to include. By making this available to existing and new Parishioners and updating
it each year, it would help to free up space in “The Rock”. A meeting has been arranged for Tuesday 19th June
2007 so that the Communications and Welcoming Groups can discuss the contents of the Parish Information Book. Discussion took place regarding feedback about the Pentecost
Saturday Mass. Some people did not quite understand the reason for their
needing to attend. It was thought that it might become clearer if this form of
Renewal of Ministerial Vows became a yearly celebration. The new Diocesan Pastoral Group could well be a forum for
member parishes combining together for Baptism and Marriage preparations. There should also be Pastoral care for newly married couples. Fr. Denis suggested that we might follow the example of “Retrovaille”
introduced in In response to the request in “The Rock” for
Eucharistic Ministers, one person had volunteered. Six or seven people had been
asked to take on the role. It would also be a good idea to involve young people in this
Ministry. Adele said that she had information stored on her computer
relating to Baptism preparation and would be happy to pass this on to whoever takes over the Ministry. Notices
should be included in “The Rock” for two weeks so that those who had not been to St. Anne’s one weekend
would receive the information the next week. Spare copies of the letter from the Oblate Provincial would
be made available for those who had not received a copy on the weekend of the 2nd/3rd of June. A
Provincial Council Meeting is taking place on 5th/6th June to discuss the implications of the letter. An
Advisory Group/Project Team Meeting consisting of Clergy and Lay representatives will take place on 7th June and
their proposals for changes to the Oblate Mission in the Province will be conveyed to the Oblate Council. It is likely that several options will be formulated. John
Boggan has been invited to be a member of the Advisory Group Committee. Proposals
must be received by September 2007 and changes will be in place by September 2008. It was pointed out that nothing had been organised by the
Parish Team in recognition of the ordination to the priesthood of Paul Smith. Paul
had acknowledged the influence that St. Anne’s Parish and the Oblates had in his decision to become a priest and we
should reciprocate in some way. It was agreed that special envelopes for “Fr. Paul
Smith” should be made available at the back of the church. Fr. Denis
said that a gift of money is a great help to a young diocesan priest. It was
suggested that Paul should be given something that he would use in his work as a priest.
A combination of both might be the answer. The notion of St. Anne’s as a “Fair Trade Parish”
which would mean devising a Parish policy re: Conservation. This would probably
come under the auspices of a Justice and Peace Group dealing with difficult issues in the Community. It was agreed that the best way forward was to invite someone from a parish that already has a Justice
and Peace Group to speak at weekend Mass in St. Anne’s. This would help
people to understand the work and commitment required by those who would form a group in St. Anne’s. An insert explaining Fair Trade and sustainability of the
environment would go inside “The Rock” the next weekend that Traidcraft products were on sale The Parish Team has been requested not to hold their meetings
on 1st or 3rd Tuesday of the month to avoid clashing with the Scripture Group Meetings. The day on which meetings were held would be reviewed when five existing members step down and five new
members are elected at the end of the year. Fr. Ned had received A
Financial Report from the Diocese. St. Anne’s have a debt of £50,000, as a result of
necessary improvements to the heating system. St. Anne’s cannot survive financially on
the present Offertory Collections. Fr. Denis reported that Offertory Collections were greater
in 1990 than at the present time. The level of inflation over the years is not reflected in the collections. This state of affairs needed to be highlighted during Mass more often and it was agreed
that it would be more effective if a member of the Parish Team spoke on the matter. A
Finance Committee would be established in the Parish which would meet quarterly and a Financial Report would be given at to
Parish Team Meetings. The Finance Committee initially would consist of Fr. Denis,
Michael Chapman (Planned Giving),Paddy McNally and Bob Rimmer. OVERVIEW
OF THE MEETING OF ST.ANNE’S PARISH TEAM Feedback from the Parish Pastoral Group Meeting was encouraging. Surprise
was expressed at the attendance of over 100 people. Discussions were positive and hopeful. Those who were present showed little surprise at possible future outcomes in the Parish. St. Anne’s had one of the largest turnouts for a Pastoral Group Meeting. The next step was to nominate four people to represent St. Anne’s on the Pastoral Area Council. One representative should be from the Clergy and the other three would be from the Parish Pastoral Team
as they had been elected to act on behalf of St. Anne’s Parish. Fr. Paschal
Byrne would convene a meeting with the Parish Priests in the Pastoral Group to decide on the remit for the Pastoral Area Council. A facilitator would be appointed to oversee the meeting. The nominees proposed and accepted as representatives to the Parish Area Council were Bob Rimmer, Sheila McAllister
and Lawrie Brown. Communications
within the Parish were discussed. One suggestion was for a Yearly Planning Board/Wall
Planner. It was thought that the Parish Team should manage the Board and those
planning events within the Parish would contact a Team Member to ensure that there was not a clash of interests. Another idea was for notification of anything organised to be placed in the Suggestion Box at the back of theChurch
and this would be checked once a week. The Communications Group would be asked to arrange a meeting with the members of the Parish Team responsibile for co-ordinating
Outreach Groups in order to improve overall communications within the Parish. The Liturgy Group would organise the Liturgy for the Commissioning Mass on Pentecost Saturday and send out invitations
to each Group in the Parish. There had been no response to the request for help
with the Celebration afterwards in the Parish Centre. A notice would be placed
in “The Rock” informing Parishioners that ‘plates’ would be left at the back of the church labelled
with various food items which people could donate to the Celebration. Help with
setting up the Hall would be obtained through direct contact. John would speak at the weekend Masses in the near future to explain the reasoning behind the Commissioning Mass. Fr. Ned had not yet been able to get anyone to speak about St. Eugene de Mazenod, so it was decided that it was not
likely to take place this year but someone could be booked for next year. I might
be possible to find anything on the Internet or perhaps a D.V.D. or Video. The
children’s Liturgy would focus on St. Eugene. Paul Smith would say Mass at St. Anne’s at 11.00a.m. on Sunday 10th June. This will be followed by a Reception in the Parish Centre. The Lottery will pay for
any expenses incurred. It is hoped that following their Confirmation, the young people involved will continue to meet and hopefully form a Y.C.W. Group. Fr. Ned told us about an Outreach event held in a place in The article about Les and Gordon McWilliam losing their Care Allowance from Social Services in the local paper has
highlighted the kind of difficulties that some people are facing as a result of Government and Local Council cutbacks. We do not have a Justice and Peace Team in the Parish.
If one were established it might examine these situations in the hope of exerting pressure on the organisations involved. The
cost of using the lights on the Snooker Tables in the Parish Centre has risen once again and it is impossible to complete
a game of Snooker without interruption in order to put more money in the meter. were altered without reference to any member of St. Anne’s Club or Committee
Member. It was pointed out that the Snooker Room was refurbished by the members who gave
up a considerable amount of their time and effort to achieve this.
Moreover, the Snooker Tables were installed by the C.M.S. It was felt that the Club
Members have a right both to some form of consultation and to voice their opinions when changes are made, as a matter of courtesy.
A letter is to be sent to the Diocese regarding this unsatisfactory state of affairs. A member of the Parish Team had been approached about the damage caused by using Cellotape to attach
notices to the walls of the Parish Centre. Perhaps pin boards
could be provided. The
Parish Centre Lounge is due to be redecorated in the near future.
As
many people as possible were asked to join in or sponsor the Wirral Coastal Walk to support CAFOD.
The next Parish Meal would take place on 24th April and involve couples in the thirty year old age group. The
Over 55’s+ will visit Llandudno on 8th May.
There will be a
Parish Picnic to Thurstaston on 24th June. Free coach transport will
be provided.
A suggestion has been placed in the box at the back of the Church regarding reception of Holy Communion.
Instead of people making their way from the back of the church, people should go to Communion row by
row, from the front of the church. This suggestion has been noted. OVERVIEW
OF THE MEETINGS OF ST.ANNE’S PARISH TEAM JANUARY
TO EASTER 2006 The Parish Team examined the list of Groups with which the Parish is involved. All Team Members would receive a list with Contact names and their telephone numbers. The Team has examined a “Model of Ministries”. This consists
of three broad areas – CATECHESIS, LITURGY and OUTREACH. It was hoped that
all Parish Ministries (approximately 50) could be organised into the three areas of the “Model”. The Parish Team emphasized strongly the need to acknowledge the work done by the various groups in the Parish and saw
the role of the Team as one of support and delegation. The Parish Team hoped to increase their awareness of the work done by each group. Any interchange of ideas would have a two-way link from the Parish Team to the Groups/Ministries and vice versa. It was thought that all Ministries should be commissioned at special Mass perhaps once a year, possibly followed by
a Celebration in the Parish Centre. The Team also thought that individual members of the Parish, not necessarily those belonging to existing Groups, could
be asked to help from time to time. This might involve action over a very short
period of time or on a more long term basis. A member of the Team was approached by a Parishioner over the possibility of recording a Parish Mass to enable the
housebound to have a more direct link with the Parish Liturgy. It was felt that for practical reasons of implementation these should be special Masses such as Easter. A notice would be placed in “The Rock” to ask for volunteers to undertake the task. IF YOU FEEL YOU COULD HELP IN ANY WAY WITH THIS VENTURE PLEASE CONTACT Fr. NED, Fr. DENIS OR A MEMBER OF THE PARISH TEAM. The possibility of a list for the Sick of the Parish being made available has been discussed. It is proposed to have a “Wailing Wall” where prayer cards for the Sick could be placed. There would also be a “Thanksgiving Board for prayers answered. It was agreed initially that information regarding each meeting of the Parish Team should be made available on the
Parish Notice Board and on the Website. Fr. Ned has requested that details be
distributed with the “Rock” also. Hopefully this answers the query
of some Parishioners regarding the accountability of the Parish Team. The Oblate Congress will take place in the Although Fr. Ned is ultimately responsible for Health and Safety in the Church, Trustees who would oversee the process
were required. It was agreed that Jimmy Belmar and Joe Whitty should be approached
by Fr. Ned over the matter. As published recently in “The Rock”, they have consented to take on the role. Literature relating to Outreach, Collaborative Ministry and Organisation of Parish Teams was distributed amongst of
the Team. As a result of suggestions in the document entitled “The Parish Listening Process” to encourage people
who are on the fringe of Parish events or not involved to take a fuller role in the life of the Parish, nine people have been
invited and accepted an invitation to a meal in the Parish House. Two Team Members
and Fr. Ned will join the group. It is hoped that the meal will be followed by
a discussion during which the guests can express their views about greater involvement in the Church Community and how they
would like to see St. Anne’s develop. If the venture is a success it is intended to repeat similar ones on a regular basis. Page 2 Another idea to be adopted is a suggestion in the document “Everybody’s Welcome” for a Parish Questionnaire.
A further proposal to be implemented is for a Suggestion Box at the back of the Church so that people would be able
to indicate areas where they might like to see Parish Team action or to make positive comments about existing practices. The attention of the Parish Team was directed towards a potentially dangerous situation on the Baptism Sunday in February
when those attending 11.00a.m. Mass tried to leave the Church and those attending the Baptisms tried to enter the Church at
the same time. | ||||||
